This invention relates to electric motors, and more particularly to an improved motor in which the rotor assembly is journalled by a pair of self-aligning journal bearings in the end shields of the motor in such a manner as to substantially eliminate end play of the rotor relative to the stator assembly.
Heretofore, in many motor applications, such as dishwasher motors or the like, the rotor assembly was oftentimes journalled by means of a pair of ball bearings (or other roller element bearings) which provided the desired low friction and thrust transfer capability required for the particular motor application. However, these ball bearings are considerably more expensive than bushing or journal-type bearings used in many other motor applications. Also, the end play (i.e., axial movement) of the rotor with respect to the stator assembly could vary considerably from motor to motor thus making it necessary to individually adjust (shim) the rotor with respect to the stator of each motor manufactured. This required additional time to manufacture the prior art motors thus increasing their cost. Also, certain elastomeric-backed washers were required to accommodate thrust loads in the motor and, again, these parts added to the complexity and cost of the prior art motors.